Neighbourhood Insp Kevin Oates said he was disgusted to learn that those suspected of being responsible were local thieves breaking into the garages and sheds of their neighbours.

He said: “Let’s be clear that as far as we are concerned, this is local people breaking into their neighbour's sheds and stealing from members of their own community.

“It disappoints and disgusts me to say so..

“We are pursuing every opportunity to arrest those suspected of being involved and we need to the community to help us tackle those very small number of people who cause intimidation and fear.“

Earlier this month, an orange Husqvarna chainsaw, a sander and an orange McCullock lawnmower were stolen when three sheds in the Fellside area were broken into.

A red and silver Honda lawnmower was also stolen from a shed on Eastgate overnight a day later on August 3.

In May, a bike was stolen from a garden on St Oswald’s Way and an unused copper boiler taken from outside a house on Moorfield.

Between May 5 and 8, police received nine reports of thefts from garden sheds on St Nicholas’s Road, St Andrew’s Road, Causey Hill, Patterson Close, Dixon Drive, Falstone Way and Hudshaw Gardens.

Days later, three lawn mowers were stolen from sheds on Elvaston Road and St John’s Road, and £1,605 worth of motor mechanical tools were taken during a burglary at a garage on Hencotes.

Power tools totaling nearly £2,000 were stolen from sheds in the gardens of neighbouring homes in Wydon Park in April after thieves forced locks.

Police have charged a number of people with offences. James Isaac Dodds, 28, of no fixed address, was given a community order in July for a shed burglary in the town, while Steven Ross, 30, of Derwent Road, was fined for disposing of stolen goods.

Joe Longlands, of Peth Head, was given a community order in August for a burglary from a garage.

In addition, a 25-year-old man and a 17-year-old youth have been charged with burglary.